


Played Perfectly

by Rinkafic



Series: Spandex Stories! [6]
Category: X-Men (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-06
Updated: 2013-02-06
Packaged: 2017-11-28 09:42:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/672987
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rinkafic/pseuds/Rinkafic
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charles misses Eric.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Played Perfectly

For a few years, in the days before Magneto and his Brotherhood of Mutants would have evil appended to their name, Raven would come to see him now and then. She would turn up suddenly, without warning, in the mansion she had called home for over half her life, the home she had walked away from when she went with Erik. 

Charles had forgiven her for that. He had even forgiven Erik for the accident that had stolen Charles’ legs from him and confined him to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. He had wanted her to be happy so he had urged her to go. She needed to find herself to do that. Charles had been unable to give her what she needed any longer. At the time, back then, he had trusted Erik enough to let him take care of her. 

Only Raven knew the depths of Charles’ pain. He didn’t let anyone else see. He, the one who could read everyone’s thoughts quite easily did not share his with any of those around him. One chapter of his life was closed, done and finished with the loss of his mobility. In this new endeavor, he had few peers, no confidants.

He sensed her before he saw the shadow move in the corner of the room. “Hello Raven.”

“Hello Charles.” She walked over to the edge of the bed. She always came under the cover of darkness like this. She was still hiding, but he didn’t point it out, as it would only anger her and might chase her away again. He still loved her. He had not realized how much until she had left. The two people he had cared the most for, had understood and loved and thought loved him back had left together. And Charles was alone. 

She climbed up onto the bed and curled up beside him. He could see her features in the glow from the alarm clock beside the bed. Her voice was small and quiet as she asked, “How are you?”

“The same. Work with the students keeps my mind off my troubles.”

“In the daytime. But what about the nights? Nights are lonely.”

That they were. “Does he treat you well?”

“Yes. But I’m not you, I’m a poor substitute. He misses you deeply, Charles.”

He nodded. His voice broke a little when he confessed, “I miss him dearly as well.”

She leaned over him and turned on the bedside light. She gazed at him intently, staring into his eyes. Then she shifted, her features sharpening and morphing until she became someone else. Until she was Erik.

“I can be what you want. If you pretend. Let me ease your hurt, Charles. Let me do this for you.” She was getting better at voices. Perhaps because she spent so much time with Erik. The woman was gone, it was now Erik on the bed beside him.

If it were anyone else, he would have declined immediately, refusing the offer, knowing it wasn’t real. But maybe, because it was Raven, because he cared for her almost as much as he cared for Erik, perhaps he could pretend. He could let her be Erik, just for a little while. 

He reached out a hand and touched it to skin that was warm and real. He could pretend. He did it all the time. He pretended that everything was fine, he pretended that he didn’t miss Raven and Erik desperately.

She clasped his hand to her cheek and whispered, in her own voice, “I’ll be whatever you need me to be, Charles. Whatever you need me to do.” He did a surface scan of her mind, she needed this as much as he did. She needed to do this for him.

He pushed himself up to his elbows and cleared his throat. “Well, Erik, it has been a while, but I recall you being very good at chess. Perhaps a game?”

Erik smiled at him. And it was almost perfect, he could almost believe. 

“That would be... perfect.”

 

The End


End file.
